Ankle Update

I went to the orthopedic doctor on Tuesday morning. It was a clean break, no surgery or pins required. I have a big purple cast on my right leg. I can't put any weight on it for three to four weeks...until my appointment on March 5th. At that time they will take more X-Rays and put on a walking cast. I'm not sure what that means exactly. I'm hoping it means I can at least be home all day without help, but I'm not getting my hopes up. It's my right ankle, so there won't be any driving for the next six to eight weeks, even if I'm in a cast and can walk without crutches. Being home bound will really cramp my style. I go crazy at home all day long. I'll need to find someone who can drop off and pick up Charles at Kids Day Inn on Thursdays. Not sure how that will work...

Russell and Mom have been very blessed to have employers who are very supportive and flexible handling this situation. Mom has been going to work at 6 am and working until noon. Russell has been going to work at 12:30 and working until 7 or 8pm. He's going to make up the time after I'm well by working on the Fridays he's supposed to be off. Dad & Christy both have President's Day off and will help me on Monday. Carissa is willing to come on Thursdays to stay with Micah and me while Charles is at Kids Day Inn. That way Russell can go to work after he drops off Charles at 9:30 and Mom can work until 1:00 and leave in time to pick him up at 1:30. It'll be a big help to have Carissa around, and fun just to hang out with her and the kids. We don't get to see them very often now that Elena has preschool three days each week.

Since the cast I've been in a lot of pain. I think it's because they "set" it and moved it in the position it should be in, rather than the broken position. The pain medicine they gave me has not helped...one pill doesn't make a dent in the pain and two pills help the pain but make me terribly nauseous. How do people get addicted to this stuff?

On a whim I had the doctor look at my left foot too. It's terribly bruised and sore. She thought there might be a broken bone so she had X-Rays taken of that foot too. She couldn't definitively say there was a broken bone, and putting two feet in a cast on anyone...especially a mother with two young children...is very cumbersome, so she gave me a lace up ankle brace. I was told to wear good shoes and the brace.

I doubt I'll go to church if I've got to wear athletic shoes...there's no way I'll go there dressed like that. Plus...I'm not sure if I've got anything besides yoga pants and pj bottoms that have wide enough legs to go over my cast. Normally I'd be excited to go shopping, but getting around is a pain. I actually asked the doctors office about getting a handicapped parking sticker and was told I couldn't get one because it's my right foot and I won't be driving. How can that be? People have to chauffeur me places and I'm on crutches. The nurse said the driver can drop me off. What a ridiculous excuse! I think I may get up my nerve and try one of those motorized scooters if/when I go to the store!

I'll try to post a picture of my cast. Maybe not...I don't have access to Internet at home, it's in the basement and I'm not doing stairs. I actually sleep on the pull out bed in the living room on the main floor and I haven't showered in...well, you don't want to know how long it's been!

Broken Ankle

Yesterday afternoon Micah had a doctor's appointment. He'd been up in the night crying and with the green boogers coming out of his nose, so I figured he had an ear infection. On my way out the door I fell off our front porch. All of a sudden I was in the grass. I have no idea what happened. The last thing I remember was making sure the front door was locked and the screen door was closed, then "BAM" on the ground. I was holding Micah and he wasn't in the infant carrier car seat. Thankfully he was fine. I tried to get up but was in too much pain and couldn't put any weight on my right leg.

I called Russell who was going to meet us at the doctor's office. He came and got us, and thankfully was pulling into the doctor's office which is only a few minutes from home. I also called the doctor and they said to head to Immediate Care rather than come in for Micah's appointment. I made a third phone call to Christy asking her to meet us and come get Charles. By that time I was shaky and having trouble keeping myself together.

We were headed out the door for Micah's appointment just before 3:30 and made it to Immediate Care by 4:00. I think Immediate Care is a deceptive term. There is no immediate care available. We had to wait quite a while, especially considering there were only about four patients in the lobby.

My ankles were X-rayed and the right showed an obvious break. The left one is sore, but no break. Thank goodness!!! They put a splint on my right leg from toes to my knee and told me I need to see an orthopedic doctor who specializes in feet so (s)he can determine if I need pins or just a cast. In the mean time the doctor also looked at Micah who, turns out, is just fighting a virus. She suggested saline in the nose followed by suction. She said to do this several times a day to clear it out of his head which will make him heal faster.

We left the office about 6:10 pm. We dropped off a prescription and headed to Mom & Dad's to get Charles, eat, and regroup. They had pizza waiting and we quickly got on the Internet to determine what doctor our insurance company identifies as a "preferred provider." During a discussion with Christy & Mom we remembered a friend, Lisa (Wall) Franz is a PA at an orthopedic doctor's office. Christy called Lisa and they helped Russ search for doctors on the Definty website. Lisa suggested Dr. Shields and even called her to ask when she could see me. Dr. Sheilds' nurse called me this morning and scheduled an appointment for Tuesday morning at 9:00 am, the doctor was headed out of town and couldn't see me 'til then. If I need surgery, they will be able to do it on Wednesday.

There are still a lot of unknowns, but I am thankful that things are not as bad as they could have been. Of course there's still the fact that I'll probably not be able to bear weight on my ankle for six weeks, and who knows how long I'll be on crutches. I won't be able to be alone with Charles & Micah for who knows how long...and driving? Don't know when that will happen either. Mom & Russell are working on a schedule to take care of me. Aunt Lola is in Orlando this weekend, but is willing to pitch in too. Mom is seeing if my cousin Erin would want to come stay at their house and spend the days with me. She's not in school this semester, and she doesn't have a job yet, so I'm praying she might be the answer to my prayers for assistance.

Russell was able to put a deposit down on crutches. I can get around a bit, but it's still difficult. I don't know how long it will be before I can get up and down the stairs...quite important in our two-story house. Last night I slept on the pull-out bed in our living room. Actually, it's not that bad, it's no Tempurpedic, but it'll do. Now if I could just shower...

God is always faithful, He always provides and takes care of us. Here are some ways...

• I was able to sit up and get into a position that allowed me to hold Micah comfortably, talk to Charles, and most importantly had my cell phone and could get to it easily.
• Russell left work early to meet us at the doctor's office so Charles wouldn't have to wait with us at the doctor's office. When I called Russell to tell him I needed his help he was pulling into the parking lot at the doctor's office,which is only about five or ten minutes away from the house. He rushed home to rescue me and the boys. I was just sitting in the grass holding Micah and talking to Charles keeping him from running away or into the street.
• As I was sitting in the grass, I called my sister and asked her to meet us at the doctor's office and babysit Charles. She was still at school but left right away. Even with an unproductive stop at the bookstore to get books for this semester's class she met us just a few minutes after we arrived at the office. Charles ran to her when he saw her walking in the door.
• Micah did not have an ear infection or anything really wrong. The doctor at the Immediate Care said it was viral and told us to do saline spray in his nose.
• My right ankle was really painful, and I knew something was really wrong. My left ankle was sore too. Thankfully there's nothing wrong with that foot. Can you imagine if I'd had TWO broken ankles?!?!

So, that's the story in a nutshell. We'll know more on Tuesday after we see the doctor. I really don't want to have surgery, but I want the ankle to heal correctly so it doesn't give me problems in my old age (which isn't that far away!).

Your prayers are always welcome, and you're welcome to come babysit me and the boys anytime. Or, if you'd just like to come over and do some cleaning or bring us a meal, we'd love that too!!!